Automatic ball pitching machine

A method for controlling a computer-controlled pitching machine with a set of control parameters that are used to calculate control signals using particular values for the control parameters, wherein controllers in the computer-controlled pitching machine operate according to the control signals, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a controller interface comprising a display screen, a user-entry port, a computer processor, a memory, and a communications module, wherein the controller interface is in an operative communication with the computer-controlled pitching machine;
• providing a pitch database in the memory, wherein the pitch database comprises a set of pitch names correlated to sets of non-dimensional control parameters and a spin direction, wherein the sets of non-dimensional control parameters are comprised of a pitch speed percentage and a spin rate percentage, wherein the pitch speed percentage corresponding to each of the pitch names is a percentage of a maximum pitch speed for a pitcher, wherein the spin rate percentage corresponding to each of the pitch names is a percentage of a maximum spin rate for the pitcher, and wherein the spin direction is relative to a direction of travel;
• receiving into the controller interface through the user-entry port a desired pitch name from the set of pitch names, a desired maximum pitch speed for the pitcher, and a desired maximum spin rate for the pitcher;
• retrieving from the pitch database for the desired pitch name the corresponding non-dimensional control parameters for the pitch speed percentage and the spin rate percentage and the corresponding pitch spin direction;
• calculating in the computer processor a pitch speed control amount according to the pitch speed percentage and the desired maximum pitch speed for the pitcher;
• calculating in the computer processor a spin rate control amount according to the spin rate percentage and the desired maximum spin rate for the pitcher;
• and
• calculating in the computer processor a spin direction control amount according to the pitch spin direction.

A method for controlling a computer-controlled pitching machine with a set of control parameters that are used to calculate control signals using particular values for the control parameters, wherein controllers in the computer-controlled pitching machine operate according to the control signals, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a controller interface comprising a display screen, a user-entry port, a computer processor, a memory, and a communications module, wherein the controller interface is in an operative communication with the computer-controlled pitching machine;
• providing a pitch database in the memory, wherein the pitch database comprises a set of pitch names correlated to sets of control parameters and a spin direction, wherein sets of non-dimensional control parameters are comprised of a pitch speed percentage and a spin rate percentage, wherein the pitch speed percentage corresponding to each of the pitch names is a percentage of a maximum pitch speed, wherein the spin rate percentage corresponding to each of the pitch names is a percentage of a maximum spin rate, and wherein the spin direction is relative to a direction of travel;
• setting a desired maximum pitch speed and a desired maximum spin rate through the user-entry port in the controller interface;
• receiving through the user-entry port in the controller interface a desired pitch name, wherein the desired pitch name is a selection from the set of pitch names;
• retrieving from the pitch database for the desired pitch name the corresponding non-dimensional control parameters for the pitch speed percentage and the spin rate percentage and the corresponding pitch spin direction;
• calculating in the computer processor a pitch speed control amount according to the pitch speed percentage and the desired maximum pitch speed, a spin rate control amount according to the spin rate percentage and the desired maximum spin rate, and a spin direction control amount according to the pitch spin direction;
• and
• repeating the receiving step, the retrieving step, and the calculating step for a plurality of pitches, wherein the desired pitch name for each one of the pitches can be any pitch name from the set of pitch names.